When I first came to SPAN I felt anxious and vulnerable as I suffer from schizophrenia and depression. The support from staff and peers has been very good and has helped me develop. I have been able to learn new skills and passed some IT exams which I would have found difficult in a mainstream college. I also found the work support course very informative although, because of my mental illness, I have been unable to get a paid job. I still do some voluntary work to occupy myself, get current experience and put on my cv.

Being at SPAN provides a safe environment and has helped me cope with my illness. The staff are understanding and helpful especially when I find it difficult to concentrate and remember things. The small sized group and more individual tuition make all the difference as well as being able to work at my own pace. I also feel less isolated.

Responses

I am so pleased we have been instrumental in your recovery and that we have been able to offer you the level of support you describe.

You have clearly experienced change in your life and I can only wish you all the very best for the future. As a service we continue to offer a positive way forward for service users who have been marginalised by social exclusion, hopefully in the future we can develop our relationship further with local educational providers to ensure that your needs would be able to be met in mainstream provision.

Thank you for your comments. We are always pleased to receive feedback, with positive comments we can rejoice in doing things well, whilst negative feedback helps us look at areas in need of development.